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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26500270">Eteru</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/traipsingexodus/pseuds/traipsingexodus'>traipsingexodus</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Homunculus [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Study, Fluff, Mild Smut, Worldbuilding</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:42:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,632</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26500270</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/traipsingexodus/pseuds/traipsingexodus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A coffin that could have been a contender. A dragon that shapes pots. A slender figure that sticks out. And their trainer, holding them together with that old glue: the fondness that forms between friends. The ether that flows between them binds them tighter than any rope ever could.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Homunculus [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/492748</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Things are never what they seem.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Things are always what they seem.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And at the dizzying heights of sincerity,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I found the peak that brings me no clarity.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Whispers that catch on the wind and tell me lies,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And shouts that come from below that buzz like flies:</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>O truth, you are elusive.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>But I can hold you firmly in my hands.</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>Glory's chest heaved up and down. Sharp pants fell from her mouth and dried her tongue. Her blue hair, long and wild, stuck to her face, to the prongs that protruded from it, to her back and to her neck. She reclined against the tree behind her and groped blindly to her left until she found it.</p><p>The bag Viola had given her.</p><p>She stared up at the sky, still breathing heavily and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth and brightness of the sun beating down on her. The gentle rustle of the leaves in the tree above her shaking in the wind became louder in her ears as the breeze became a strong gust. She could hear the branches knocking against each other. She opened her eyes and peered past her knees at the river a few dozen feet away from her. The gentle sound of it winding through the forest was lost in the din of the winds.</p><p>She flipped open the white bag bearing a brilliant red cross and dug her left hand around inside.</p><p>"Glory?" came a familiar voice somewhere far away behind her.</p><p>She slumped completely against the tree behind her and called back in a tongue she knew Juniper could not understand, but still, her trainer shouted back, "Where?"</p><p>Glory's head fell down against her chest and she let out a long sigh. She shouted something incomprehensible again and soon the sound of footfalls began to approach from the southeast. The wind began to still and the babble of the creek gained strength once more. The gardevoir opened her eyes and turned in time to see Juniper find her. Her expression shifted from worry to embarrassment and she turned her head towards the creek, staring with determination at nothing. "I wish you'd say something."</p><p>The gardevoir began to laugh. Gentle at first, but it filled her belly until they became guffaws that seized her entire form. She clutched her stomach and fell over to her side, howling with laughter. She brought an oversized digit to her eyes and wiped the tears from them, then stood and let out a sigh. Juniper continued to stare at the creek and said, her tone awkward, "What's so funny?"</p><p>Glory bent down to pick up the gift Viola had given to her and pulled a small folded piece of cloth. She seized the folds of her dress and then said telepathically, her tone firm and commanding, "Look at me, Juniper."</p><p>Juniper turned the back of her red-haired head to Glory and mumbled, "No. Make yourself decent first."</p><p>"Look," commanded Glory.</p><p>Juniper wheeled about with such force she nearly fell over and averted her gaze again. "How many times have I told you not to psychically manipulate me!?" she said hotly.</p><p>Glory continued to hold the folds of her dress far apart. The interior of her thighs were slick and shining. But her eyes remained cold. Juniper's head turned to face her in a halting motion, but Glory's powers proved stronger than her trainer's neck muscles. "This is who I am," said Glory.</p><p>"You're all blues, reds and greens, right now," said Juniper, averting her gaze again the moment she could.</p><p>Juniper unfolded the cloth in her hand and pulled the panties on. "What of it?" she replied.</p><p>"That's weird. That book Jo sent me said things like this usually result in pinks. Overwhelmingly, even. Only time I've seen those colors in my head is when we're having Johtoan stir-fry."</p><p>Glory walked over to Juniper. Her trainer had at least eight inches of height on her at least, which meant she could slump her head against her shoulder. "And the one time we had Dendemille ice cream." She smacked her lips at the memory. "But I have only green for you, my friend." She paused and then laughed again. "I'm weird."</p><p>"Don't say that, you know that's not true."</p><p>Glory pulled a hair tie from her bag and pulled her long, blue hair into a ponytail, intoning all the while, "You have punctuated this friendship with a long series of lessons on the importance of being forward and honest."</p><p>"Yes," began Juniper, "I have. But that doesn't mean you need to stand up and show me you've just finished relieving personal tension."</p><p>"You are my friend," said Glory simply. She slung the bag across her body and clasped it shut. "I must wash my hands." She made her way down to the creek and gestured for Juniper to follow her.</p><p>As Glory washed her hands in the river and splashed cool water on her face, Juniper looked on beside her and asked, "Why the hell does being your friend mean I have to deal with that?"</p><p>"You keep seeking me out when I'm otherwise preoccupied." She threw an accusing grin at her trainer. "Have you considered that you make it seem you're looking for it?"</p><p>Juniper put her hands on her hips and opened her mouth to argue, then stopped and sighed. "I guess after the fourth time I should have figured when you disappear it's for a good reason." She shook her head. "But I can't <em>not</em> worry when you disappear." She walked over to Glory and put her hand on the gardevoir's shoulder. "You… you're not getting the wrong impression from me, right?" She had dropped her voice considerably. "I'm not sending any like- like- mixed signals?"</p><p>Glory beamed at Juniper and shook her head. "Absolutely not." She shook her hands dry and then threw her arms around Juniper and pulled her into a hug as best as the orange horn jutting from her chest allowed. "You needn't worry about that." She released her trainer and then looked back up towards the forest. "Where are Yun and Yosuke?"</p><p>"I left them back at camp. I was worried when I woke up and saw you were gone. Figured someone had shown up and stolen you or something," explained Juniper, now heading back into the forest.</p><p>The gardevoir's face fell into a frown. "Someone would try to do something like that I suppose…"</p><p>Juniper looked back at her friend and shook her head vigorously. "No no no, not because of how-" The look on Glory's face told her everything. "Alright, fine, that's a lie. Yes, you being <em>rare</em> means you'd have people looking to whisk you away." She sighed. "But I'm not trying to keep you around because of that."</p><p>Glory's face brightened and a small smile came alive upon her lips. "Then why are you? Surely not because I exposed myself to you. Against your will no less. Isn't that a crime? Viola told me something about it…"</p><p>The redhead rolled her eyes. "You know, I'm really wondering why I <em>do</em> keep you around. It ain't for your coloration and it sure as hell ain't for how weirdly open you are about everything."</p><p>"Am I a…" Glory lowered her voice and let out a mock gasp. "A good friend?"</p><p>Juniper laughed and shook her head. "Yes. Weird as anything or anyone I've ever met. But, yes. Probably the best friend I've got."</p><p>"I thought that was Yun."</p><p>"Yun is too focused on earning badges and he's not even a trainer." She shook her head. "He forgets he's not the one calling the shots all the time. Overblown coffin."</p><p>"And still you keep him around," mused Glory.</p><p>"I'm not going to pretend that Yun isn't about the most useful spooky bastard I've ever met in my life. But I'm also not going to pretend that he doesn't make it painfully clear that his line <em>had</em> to have been humans at some point."</p><p>"I thought you believed that was just a legend," replied Glory, her tone gleeful and her hand covering her mouth to suppress giggles.</p><p>"I did until I caught Yun. You know he never once cried while he was a yamask?" explained Juniper.</p><p>Glory shook her head. "You've never told me this story. I'm surprised."</p><p>"I guess I must've told Yosuke once. Maybe. I forget. Either way, yeah, he never cried as a yamask. Instead he'd look at that mask he had and get lost and every time I snapped him out of his trance he'd always look at me and say: 'This time we're goin' far.' Every single time." Juniper shook her head at the memory. "You wanna talk about someone who's weird, there you go. You've got nothing on Yun."</p><p>The gardevoir laughed in earnest. "Indecency ranks above cryptic musings, then?"</p><p>The trainer stopped and stared at Glory. Behind her green eyes, it was clear her brain was spinning. At last, she sighed and closed her eyes. "No, I guess not."</p><p>Glory raised a fist in triumph. "I am victorious."</p><p>"Celebrating being more weird is-"</p><p>"Weird?"</p><p>"Shut up." She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why is Yosuke the only normal one?"</p><p>"He likes taking pottery lessons," said Glory, shrugging. "Is that normal for dragons?"</p><p>"He's smart enough to have his own hobbies, does it matter what he chooses to do with his free time?" asked Juniper.</p><p>"Answering questions with questions, are we?"</p><p>"Answer my question and I'll answer yours."</p><p>The gardevoir smiled. "Alright. I shall. It is very strange."</p><p>Juniper furrowed her brow. "Why is it strange?"</p><p>"Because he is a dragon and that is not what they do."</p><p>"Who decides what they do?"</p><p>Glory opened her mouth and made an indistinct sound, then closed it and replied. "I am… not sure. I suppose we could plan a trip and see if the Alpha is willing to provide us some illumination."</p><p>"Ha ha ha. Very funny."</p><p>"I was being half-serious. The Alpha would indeed know," reasoned Glory. She pulled a canteen from her bag and took a sip then offered it to Juniper, who took it from her and took a swig herself before returning it.</p><p>"You crushed cheri berries into that. Not bad. Anyway, really?"</p><p>"Yes, the Alpha would know why dragons do what they do. Why I do what I do." She paused and smiled. "I could have an answer I've wanted for a long time."</p><p>Juniper raised an eyebrow. "To why you're weird? And proud of it?"</p><p>"By the gods that govern, no. I could finally have an answer as to why Viola is so interested in what's in Jo's pants."</p><p>The trainer sputtered. "That's a very personal thing to want to know."</p><p>"I've asked Viola far worse," replied Glory, waving the comment away.</p><p>"And you've gotten answers out of her?" said Juniper, turning a judging eye towards the gardevoir.</p><p>Glory's expression became sheepish and she began, "Well…" She giggled. "Once or twice. She wasn't pleased."</p><p>"You're very lucky Viola's so patient with you. Anyway, that seems like a waste of a question for someone as important as Arceus himself."</p><p>"Itself."</p><p>"It?"</p><p>"The Alpha is the first. It exists before and beyond. To call it anything but what it is would be… wrong."</p><p>"Well, it seems like a waste of a question on a supreme being. Besides, I don't think you'd ever get the answer you wanted. And if you did, you wouldn't like it," explained Juniper.</p><p>"What sort of answer do you think I'd get?" asked Glory.</p><p>"You'd just be told Viola is weird, probably."</p><p>"Yes, you're probably right," replied Glory. "But I'm not especially interested in what Johannes carries around in his pants. So, a different weird."</p><p>"You make it sound like he's stuffed a furret in there," said Juniper.</p><p>"That is a very bad choice of pokemon. Did you intend for that shape?"</p><p>"I blame you."</p><p>"I'm not out looking for a human to bed me."</p><p>"But you want to know why Viola is?"</p><p>"She isn't looking, she's already succeeded. Many, many, many times. All with Jo, but still."</p><p>"I really didn't need to know that," replied Juniper, grimacing. "And at the risk of being further disturbed, what does knowing that accomplish?"</p><p>"Nothing, really, I was lying," said Glory. She smirked at Juniper and then stuck her tongue out.</p><p>"Oh for the love of- so then what <em>do</em> you want to ask Arceus, Glory?"</p><p>"Why I don't have a phase-mate..." mumbled Glory in Juniper's head.</p><p>"Really? That's a much more typical response than I expected out of you. You really trying to find love that hard?"</p><p>"And why it doesn't especially bother me. There are a lot of trees to hide behind, after all. Public restrooms to use for free. Doors you can lock. Easy enough to deal with." She put her hands on her hips for added effect and stood straight, triumphant.</p><p>Juniper stared at her friend for a moment and then resumed heading back towards their camp. "I should have just let you come back on your own."</p><p>"But how else would you learn so much about me that you doubtless had no intention of ever learning?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The crumbling stone, loose beneath their feet, claws and ghostly strides echoed up as it fell into the center of the old fort. A decaying monument from a time when kings played at state, long before "Sinnoh" was a concept in the minds of her people, <em>Hankō-tekina Hana </em>did not so much stand as she did rise unevenly from the soil around her. Glory turned to Yun and asked, her voice a bare whisper in his mind, "Bring back any memories?"</p>
<p>The cofagrigus let out a long and wispy laugh that echoed down and back up to them from the bowels of the fort. "Are you kiddin' me? Memories of this dump? What do you take me for, some old bastard that took an arrow standing on this battlement?" he shot back. His voice projected from his body like a single shout from someone standing in another unseen room.</p>
<p>The fine hairs on Juniper's arm stood on end every time Yun spoke, though the feeling of unease it made her feel when he'd first evolved had long ceased. "Keep your voices down you two. You're supposed to respect historical sites. Look at Yosuke, he's got the right idea."</p>
<p>The haxorus stared glumly over the battlement, out into tamed woods around them and turned his attention to Juniper brief when he heard his name. He mumbled something incomprehensible in his tongue of snarls and growls, punctuated now and again with a staccato of sounds Juniper could only guess at the meaning of.</p>
<p>"I'm going to pretend that you agreed with me," said Juniper, smiling sheepishly.</p>
<p>"He said this fort depresses him. Likely because of its destitute state and the relative isolation of the structure," supplied Glory, correcting her trainer telepathically. "I cannot say I disagree overmuch with him, but I find the solitude oddly comforting." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Perhaps it is more that we are the only ones here that is depressing."</p>
<p>"I <em>know</em> he didn't agree with me Glory, I was trying to make a point." She crossed her arms and pouted.</p>
<p>Yun ambled past Glory and threw a ghostly arm around Juniper's shoulder and gestured out to the fort around them. "C'mon now, don't go all sulky on us just because you're wrong." His sharp smile became pensive and his eyes drooped. "There really isn't anyone here we're disturbing anyway. Place is deader than I am." He guffawed, his smile picking up again. "Why the hell do we keep these places around if no one cares about them? Just bulldoze the thing and let the trees take it over again. Probably a tropius somewhere nearby that can't wait to start a family of fruit trees."</p>
<p>Juniper shivered as the cold that radiated from Yun's arm soaked into her body, and with great difficulty she pried herself free, her hands phasing through the barely-flesh of his own hand several times. "This fort was supposed to be one of the last forts to fall during the Sinnohan Unification War. It's very important."</p>
<p>"Oh yeah, I can definitely see that," replied Yun, walking awkwardly on two of his four arms over to a chunk of stone. He picked it up and tossed it across the fort. "Definitely getting those 'location of incredible historical significance' feelings from the fact this fort is a safety hazard." As if on command, the stone beneath Glory's feet broke away and the gardevoir fell down to the ground level some twenty meters away.</p>
<p>"GLORY!" shouted Juniper, rushing to the hole that had formed, waving the dust the stone kicked up away.</p>
<p>The gardevoir floated slowly back up to her trainer, reclining completely horizontally in the air, her cheek resting against her hand, a thoroughly bored expression on her face.</p>
<p>Juniper clutched at her breast, breathing heavily. "You're- you're okay."</p>
<p>"You often forget you've made your best friends a dragon, a coffin and the psychic apple of many a degenerate's eye," said Glory, smirking.</p>
<p>"I don't have the luxury of surviving falls like that!" said Juniper, chest still heaving.</p>
<p>"And I'm dead and people want to boink her, what's your point?" laughed Yun. "Everyone's got their hang ups. Speaking of, what's eating you, Yosuke?"</p>
<p>The haxorus stomped over to his trainer, stopping only to mumble something at Glory, who touched back down onto the battlement and dusted herself off. He focused his attention on Yun and growled out a very long sentence that Juniper could barely guess at the meaning of.</p>
<p>The cofagrigus waved a hand dismissively at Yosuke. "Important or not, everyone's got something more important to be doing these days." He gestured around them. "We're not exactly in a place you'd call convenient, too." He pointed to the looming peak of Mt. Coronet off in the distance. "Why is there even a fort here? Is Solaceon some fallen city turned town? Was 210 some kind of important trade route that's become just another patch of dirt you walk between Hearthome and Veilstone?"</p>
<p>"The roads have changed a lot since then," explained Juniper, striding over to Glory and helping her brush dust and debris out of her long hair. She flicked the gardevoir's forehead in mock reprimand for making her worry and pulled a pebble from her blue locks. "But, being honest…" She gave Yun a guilty grin. "The fort was important for its <em>defiance</em>, not so much its, uh, <em>usefulness</em>. The lord was as self-important as they come and decided he'd rather see him and his people die screaming than just fold to the unification."</p>
<p>Yosuke tilted his head and grunted a question out.</p>
<p>"Yeah, did he even put up much of a fight?" asked Yun.</p>
<p>"I mean, he put up <em>a fight</em>, which is more than a lot of admittedly much wiser people could say. I was skimming the informational plaque they have set up as you approach the fort." She sniffed once and stopped cleaning Glory's hair. "So <em>you're</em> the one using my shampoo."</p>
<p>"It smells lovely," replied the gardevoir, shrugging.</p>
<p>"I figured but- anyway, yeah it was on that plaque. You know, that really big one that you all ignored," said Juniper pointedly.</p>
<p>"I'm a talker, not a reader," laughed Yun. "I leave that shit to you."</p>
<p>Glory drew a sizable amount of her hair in front of her and continued to comb her fingers through it, pulling pebbles and bits of wood from it. "Viola offered to teach me how to read." She pulled a long splinter free and tossed it aside with a frown. "I wasn't especially interested. I find I can get by well enough with knowing just a few key words. As Yun said, I would rather leave that to the individual who is expected to know how to read."</p>
<p>"I need some human friends," said Juniper in mock misery. She laughed in spite of herself, and continued, "Well anyway, the fort fell pretty quickly. The garrison wasn't equipped to deal with what the First Regent of the Alpha's Splendor brought to the field."</p>
<p>"What did they bring?" asked Glory.</p>
<p>"More men, an entire force of bastiodon to use as battering rams and a frankly terrifying number of garchomp."</p>
<p>Yosuke crossed his arms and grumbled something dismissively.</p>
<p>"You could take a 'chomp just fine, buddy, don't get the wrong idea," said Juniper reassuringly. "But you can't take fifty hungry 'chomps." She shook her head and frowned. "And neither could the garrison. Awful lot of men met their ends in the mouths of a very angry pack of ravenous dragons. Honestly, I'm surprised they fought at all once they realized what they were up against. The gates didn't stand a chance against the bastiodon, but I mean, is that really surprising?"</p>
<p>"So how many poor bastards met their ends here?" asked Yun.</p>
<p>"Almost all of them, really. The lord and his closest defenders, of course. But most of the men and even the women in the fort just kept picking up the spears whenever the person holding them died. Jumped over and over into overwhelming numbers and angry dragons." She frowned. "I guess the First Regent should have expected as much. The name of the fort meant 'defiant flower' and it seems they were determined to make the Regent remember that."</p>
<p>"And so some of your ancestors felt it appropriate to remember the ultimately pointless sacrifice of hundreds of your kind by leaving this structure standing and erecting a sign to put that sacrifice on full display for all to read and know?" asked Glory.</p>
<p>"It's good to know your history," said Juniper, shrugging. "And I'm glad we came to visit the fort, it's pretty cool. Let's swing by the only part of the interior that's still accessible and have a look around before we get going."</p>
<p>"About time! We're never getting to Veilstone at this rate if we keep making these stops!" said Yun.</p>
<p>"We'll get there when we get there, Yun. No reason to be in a hurry, the gym isn't going anywhere."</p>
<p>The four of them descended a set of fresh stone steps, clearly built to allow visitors to avoid using the crumbling steps a few meters to their left, and then turned to their left and entered the interior of the wall that lined the northern part of the fort.</p>
<p>It was damp and drafty within the walls, aided in no small part by the large sections of wall missing here and there. The smell of rotting wood and dust hung thick in the air and Juniper wrinkled her nose as she looked around in the dim light. "Well this is…"</p>
<p>"Awful?" supplied Yun.</p>
<p>"It's certainly not what I expected. It's so small…" she said. The trainer walked further along, glancing about and peering outside now and again when the holes in the walls allowed for it. "I guess this section was really only for moving troops around." She paused before a section of wall with a series of slits that were laid out in a way that looked deliberate. "And to use the murderholes I guess."</p>
<p>"You're all very keen on being direct with your naming schemes, aren't you?" asked Glory, gliding up beside Juniper. "And when you aren't being direct you choose to be flowery and ethereal, like a poet with something to prove."</p>
<p>"I didn't pick the name," replied Juniper, rolling her eyes.</p>
<p>"But you did name me Glory."</p>
<p>"It was a pretty name!"</p>
<p>"A pretty name for a pretty prize?"</p>
<p>"Don't put it that way, it sounds creepy."</p>
<p>Glory covered her mouth and giggled. "Perhaps this isn't the best place to be making jokes. I imagine the floor beneath our feet bears the long forgotten blood of many a brave man and faithful pokemon."</p>
<p>"I don't think the fort had much in the way of defending pokemon, come to think," said Juniper, bringing her fingers to her chin and looking pensive. "Probably just a few domestic types that got lost in the shuffle and maybe the odd defensive pokemon."</p>
<p>"Perhaps that contributed to their terrible defeat." Glory slid over to a pile of rubble and crouched down, looking at the mosses that covered the stone and flowers that grew between the cracks.</p>
<p>"Probably. It certainly didn't help them, that's for sure." Juniper stopped before a large pile of rubble and squinted at the top of the pile and noticed the smooth curve of a stone archway. "Hey, there's an archway behind this pile of rubble. You wanna see what's behind it?"</p>
<p>Glory glanced at her trainer and shrugged. "Is that...permitted?"</p>
<p>"You're not askin' for us to go and do something <em>wrong</em> now, are ya, Juniper?" said Yun, ambling up to his trainer.</p>
<p>"It's not wrong it's just… exploration. Excavation." At the look the cofagrigus and gardevoir gave her she averted her eyes and said nervously, "Yosuke! Get over here and let's move these stones!"</p>
<p>The haxorus stomped over and looked between his trainer and his friends then let out a low croon that told Juniper: "If I must."</p>
<p>"That's the spirit!" she said, patting the dragon on the back. She set about moving small stones as the pokemon worked on moving the larger ones, and within a half hour they had sufficiently cleared enough rubble to climb over the stones into the next room.</p>
<p>Juniper scrambled over the rocks and found the adjacent room extremely cramped. "Oh… there's nothing cool over here." Behind her, Yosuke crawled into the room with great difficulty and looked about, a low noise in his throat signalling his mild annoyance.</p>
<p>"Hey, I'm glad you helped at least," said Juniper, scratching the dragon's chin and smiling. The haxorus let out a short snort of approval and then began to move a small pile of stones away from a wall, tossing them up atop a much larger pile of rubble.</p>
<p>"Something catch your eye?" asked Juniper.</p>
<p>The series of growls and sounds that came from the haxorus was lost on her, until Yun's voice erupted beside her, causing her to jump and smack the coffin for scaring her. "He wants to see if there's a small doorway behind this pile of rocks. The rest of the stones are too big to be worth moving without risking a cave-in."</p>
<p>"Don't scare me like that!"</p>
<p>"Don't get scared every time I do that." The cofagrigus ambled over to the haxorus and patted him on the shoulder. "Give it a rest for a second, lemme just root around and see what's hiding down here…" He shoved two of his ghostly arms through the rocks and began feeling along the wall and then the ground. When he pulled his arms free he said, "There's definitely something on the floor. No doorway though."</p>
<p>"What's on the floor?" asked Juniper, excited.</p>
<p>"Not sure. Something metal maybe. Broken torch stand? Broken bits of metal from a door? Who knows." He gave the haxorus a thumbs up and the dragon continued to remove the stones.</p>
<p>For several minutes, Yosuke worked, and when a particularly large stone was tossed aside, let out a great cry of triumph. Juniper rushed over to see what the pokemon had uncovered and gasped.</p>
<p>It was beaten, rusted and definitely bent, but it was still whole - somehow.</p>
<p>A sword.</p>
<p>She knelt down and gingerly picked the weapon up. "No scabbard," she mumbled.</p>
<p>"Whoever had the scabbard is probably dust, along with it," mused Yun.</p>
<p>"I can't believe it though… A sword from the Unification era. I couldn't even begin to price this."</p>
<p>"Maybe you should have the people that act as the groundskeepers here do that for you then," said Yun slyly.</p>
<p>"Wh-what? No way! Finders keepers!" said Juniper, shaking her head. "Glory! Get me some gauze!" She turned about and scrambled back over the rocks and back to her gardevoir.</p>
<p>The medic had pulled a roll of gauze free, looking confused, but her expression shifted to awe when Juniper held the sword out for her to wrap.</p>
<p>"Is that what Yosuke found for you?" she asked in her head.</p>
<p>"Yep! And we're gonna wrap it up and get out of here," said Juniper in a hushed tone. "Don't tell anyone about it."</p>
<p>"I sure hope no one finds out we're PILFERING a priceless historical artifact!" shouted Yun, appearing beside Juniper.</p>
<p>The trainer jumped and immediately replied, "Shhhh! What are you doing?!"</p>
<p>"Calm down, calm down," said Yun. "No one's out here anyway. If they hadn't found that sword by now they were probably never going to anyway. But if you're so keen on stealing it, then all the more reason to get a move on to Veilstone, eh?"</p>
<p>"Do you think about anything <em>but</em> the League challenge, Yun?" asked Juniper, checking the sword to ensure it had been completely wrapped before stuffing it inside her rolled up sleeping bag that sat atop her backpack.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I think about how I wound up with a no good thief!" he replied, laughing.</p>
<p>Juniper cringed and immediately set off for the hole in the wall. "Stop shouting that! Let's get back on 210 before anyone notices what we did!"</p>
<p>"So you admit this was wrong?" asked Glory, catching up beside her.</p>
<p>"It wasn't wrong! It was…" Juniper faltered and instead focused on putting as much distance between her and the fort as she could.</p>
<p>"It was what?" asked Glory, a smug smile creeping across her lips.</p>
<p>"It was shut up and keep moving. All of you! Come on, you wanna challenge Veilstone or not?" shouted Juniper back at the coffin and dragon trying to catch up to her.</p>
<p>"Maybe you should have been an archaeologist instead of a League challenger," said Glory, still smirking.</p>
<p>"I don't have the patience for that kind of thing," replied Juniper, now huffing to keep her pace up.</p>
<p>"More of a smash and grab type, then?" shouted Yun.</p>
<p>They kept their brisk pace and snarky remarks rolling until they were a quarter of the way along 215.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It dwarfed her face in comparison. The edges of the prongs upon her face were a deep red now. She let out a long breath, hot and expectant. This felt right. Probably. Something in her ached.</p>
<p>Yosuke's member dominated her vision, wet and impassive. She reached up and took hold of him, ran her hand down from the tip to the base. This felt right. Probably. Something in her ached more.</p>
<p>She ran her tongue from the base back up to the tip and saw Yosuke shiver. The dragon towered above her and stared down at her, imperious. That felt right? Probably. Something in her ached again.</p>
<p>Now some of him was in her mouth. The feeling of the grass against her legs became acute in her mind. The sensation of the wind on her skin. More of him in her. More. She coughed and pulled away. That wasn't right. Definitely. She felt her heart throb. She coughed again, wiping spittle from her mouth and panting heavily.</p>
<p>"Lift me up," she commanded, standing up, her chest still heaving. Wrong still. More wrong. She reached out and grabbed hold of each of his arms. "With these. Lift me up." She patted her thighs. "Grab here. Lift me up."</p>
<p>Yosuke inclined his head. "If you insist…" He seized her by the thighs and lifted her up without issue. She threw her arms around his neck and looked down, panting. His member twitched.</p>
<p>This wasn't right. Without a doubt.</p>
<p>Glory brought a hand up to the blade that jutted out of the side of Yosuke's face and traced her finger along its edge. "You can't kiss me."</p>
<p>Yosuke shook his head. "Not unless you were hoping for a wider smile."</p>
<p>Glory threw her head back and sighed. "Oh well." She sat there, suspended in the air over a cruel peak and closed her eyes. "Tear me in half with it, Yosuke."</p>
<p>The dragon's arms did not move. "Excuse me?"</p>
<p>"Did I stutter?" asked Glory, opening her eyes and looking him in the face.</p>
<p>"You didn't, which is exactly why I asked you that." The dragon stared hard at Glory. The gardevoir looked down between her legs and saw him wilt and retract.</p>
<p>She frowned and hung her head.</p>
<p>"Don't do this again," said Yosuke simply. He set Glory back down and turned about, heading back to camp.</p>
<p>"I'm…" called Glory, her apology catching in her chest.</p>
<p>"I know you are. I'm not offended. But it is clear - what you are missing does not live among us." The dragon turned around, his expression pitying. "I was hoping this would have solved it, Glory. But it is clear it will not."</p>
<p>She caught up to him and put her arm around him, apologetic. "I'm sorry. Did you perhaps-"</p>
<p>The haxorus began to laugh. "I don't and didn't fancy you. I am simply helpful and you are persuasive. You asked - well, demanded - and I obliged. I indulge Firehead her whims, Laughing Death his antics, and you… well, I'm afraid I cannot be your phase-mate. But I will remain your friend."</p>
<p>Glory drew her hair in front of her and began to comb through it morosely. "Thank you." She sighed and shook her head. "Was I wrong for thinking that perhaps this is what I wanted?"</p>
<p>The haxorus paused and tilted his head far to the left, looking at Glory all the while. "Wrong? Yes, but perhaps not in the sense you believe. This was simply not what you needed. What you do need, however, I cannot say." He smiled suddenly and stomped towards Glory, seizing her with his arms and bringing her up into a tight hug. "But I wouldn't worry so much about it, Shining One. You are too beautiful, too caring, and too smug to remain so morose." He set her back down and resumed his walk towards camp.</p>
<p>The gardevoir let out a frustrated sigh that mixed with half of a laugh. "I'm glad you find me so smug. But this frustration in me simply refuses to abate. It rises and falls like the sun itself. And it upsets me. Aggravates me, even. I wish to be rid of the stone that sits in my stomach." She smiled in spite of herself and shook her head. "In all honesty, I was hoping you'd jostle it out of me tonight."</p>
<p>Yosuke stomped a foot and laughed once, hard and loud. "You don't have an <em>actual</em> stone in your stomach, Glory. And I could have hardly reached it if you did."</p>
<p>"Don't be so modest," said Glory, pushing against his shoulder before drawing her hair up into a ponytail. "You were going to split me in two."</p>
<p>"Nonsense. Now stow this conversation before Juniper hears. We're getting closer to camp," replied Yosuke.</p>
<p>"She can't understand us when we speak like this, you know that."</p>
<p>"She knows far more than she lets on."</p>
<p>"And far less than she would like." Glory stopped in her tracks and looked at the flickering embers of the campfire in the distance. "You go on."</p>
<p>"Off to work out frustration?" asked Yosuke in a rare, knowing tone.</p>
<p>"I can feel the judgment radiating from your body in waves. It soaks into my skin but I push it back to you completely and reject it." She crossed her arms for added effect. "Hmph."</p>
<p>"I expected nothing less. Good night."</p>
<p>"Thank you."</p>
<p>"Don't mention it. Yun would never let me hear the end of it."</p>
<p>"Perhaps I should, just to see that…" began Glory.</p>
<p>"Please. I have done you several honors," pleaded Yosuke.</p>
<p>"You laid your co-"</p>
<p>"Glory," interrupted Yosuke, his gaze stern. "That language is very unbecoming of a maiden."</p>
<p>"Then I'm off to debase all that is being a maiden."</p>
<p>"Don't shout."</p>
<p>Glory stuck her tongue out at Yosuke and then turned away, giggling.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Juniper glanced back at Glory and Yosuke and frowned. "What's up with you two? Not feeling heading into Veilstone?"</p>
<p>Glory poorly stifled a yawn behind one of her hands and shook her head. "It was a less than restful night, Juniper," she grumbled in her head. Beside her, Yosuke let out a huge yawn himself and growled out some kind of affirmation.</p>
<p>"Well we're gonna be there very shortly, so we can stop off and maybe grab something that'll wake you up better than camping rations." She smiled and turned her attention back to the trail.</p>
<p>"Alright boss," began Yun, "That means it's time to start talkin' tactics."</p>
<p>Juniper groaned. "Yun, you <em>always</em> do this."</p>
<p>"Tactics are important! Last time Yosuke almost had that yappy dog dead to rights but he just slipped up at the last second."</p>
<p>"Why don't <em>you</em> ever fight in these battles?" asked Juniper. "You're in the perfect position to deal with anything Maylene could even think about throwing at you."</p>
<p>"I'm not a fighter!" shot back Yun. There was an air about him that told Juniper this should have been as obvious as the rising and setting of the sun.</p>
<p>"You're a <em>ghost</em>. Who cares if you can't fight? What are they going to, shake their fists at you?"</p>
<p>"I'm in Yosuke's corner, I'm given' him the tips, the strategies, the <em>tactics</em>. That's my job!" He held his upper arms out and made a motion like he was rubbing the dragon's shoulders. "Shoulder rubs and quick little pointers when he's up against it, you know? That's what I'm here for."</p>
<p>"That sounds an awful lot like <em>my</em> job, Yun," said Juniper flatly.</p>
<p>"Nah, you're the commander here. You're shoutin' the orders and yelling for him to dodge. A regular glory-seeker, you know?" He threw a soft punch at Juniper's shoulder that sent the hand phasing completely through his trainer's arm.</p>
<p>"Why is she still looking then?" asked Glory in both of their heads.</p>
<p>"You know what I meant!" said Yun, turning back to Glory and laughing. The gardevoir flashed him a knowing smile.</p>
<p>Juniper turned her head to look back at Glory and said, "Come to think of it, why don't <em>you</em> ever participate in this, Glory?"</p>
<p>"I'm the medic," she said, raising her white and red bag. "What good would I be if I were snapped in two?"</p>
<p>"You're psychic! You could just… I dunno, snap them in two first?" asked Juniper.</p>
<p>"I'm not snapping Yuka in half. She's very nice and a much better combatant than I am. Besides, what good is my advantage against her?"</p>
<p>Juniper's face fell. "Alright, so you can't deal with the medicham, but what about her machoke?"</p>
<p>"Kazuya? Are you having that much trouble with him?" asked Glory, frowning. "Yosuke hardly ever complains about his bouts with him. The only issue is really Asahi. And I believe I will be of precious little use to you against him."</p>
<p>"It's always just him, in the end, I guess," admitted the trainer. "We gotta get your endurance up Yosuke."</p>
<p>The haxorus growled out a short reply and shook his head in a defeated sort of way.</p>
<p>"Eh, I guess maybe you have a point…" admitted Yun.</p>
<p>"What'd Yosuke say?" asked Juniper, lost.</p>
<p>"You <em>are</em> really relying on just him to get this done."</p>
<p>"You won't fight and neither will Glory!" said Juniper, throwing her arms in the air in frustration. "What do you mean <em>I'm</em> relying on him too much?"</p>
<p>"Alright, alright, don't strain your bandages," said Yun, holding up two hands to calm her down.</p>
<p>"It's fine, I'm not mad, I should maybe just…" she trailed off and looked longingly at the woods on either side of them. "Look for another teammate for us." She sighed. "It's hard enough training Yosuke, and I have <em>help</em>."</p>
<p>"You'll still have help if you find us another companion," supplied Glory, laughing. "We aren't set to turn tail and run because you invite someone else into the fold."</p>
<p>The haxorus beside her nodded enthusiastically and growled out a short statement.</p>
<p>"Yeah, Yosuke's right," admitted Yun. "Him having a sparring partner would be good. I'm great if he wants to do some shadow boxing but some actual full-contact tussling might be the ticket to a smooth win."</p>
<p>"Alright, we'll grab some supplies and come back out here and start combing for a new friend. Sound good, everyone?" asked Juniper.</p>
<p>At their collective agreement, she turned back around and fished her pokedex out of her pocket. "Alright, then let's see what's even in the area…" She pulled open the map function and scanned sightings in the area of 215/Veilstone.</p>
<p>"Anything good?" asked Yun, walking closer to her and peering down at the device.</p>
<p>"Hmmm, if we don't want to double back to a different route, we'll have to make do with…" She trailed off and scrolled through the sightings and catch data. A noise rose in her throat and she closed the pokedex and tucked it away. "Let's get to Veilstone and grab some food and supplies."</p>
<p>"Gonna keep what you're looking for a secret from us? Your best friends?" asked Yun, mock injury in his voice.</p>
<p>"My <em>only </em>friends, more like," said Juniper, grinning. "I'll tell you after we've grabbed some chow."</p>
<hr/>
<p>The ground floor of the Veilstone Department Store had been renovated to include a restaurant some time in the last half decade, which, according to Yun, was an especially fortuitous development, as it meant they could spend less time arguing about where to eat and more time getting everything done so they could head back out of the city and start combing the woods for a new teammate.</p>
<p>As they took their seats and were given their menus, however, Juniper kicked her leg under the table, trying her best to get her foot to contact whatever was analogous to the cofagrigus's shin. "This place isn't <em>very cheap</em>, Jun. We could have just grabbed some burgers or takoyaki and had a picnic."</p>
<p>"What do you think the prize money is for? Saving for the future? That's what the <em>champion's pot</em> is for." The coffin flashed her a wide grin and then jumped. "Ow! You just had to keep trying, huh? You're lucky I've got no bones to break!"</p>
<p>Even by the standards of the many booths around them bearing varying mixes of trainers and pokemon, Juniper felt their booth in particular stuck out. Yousuke was tall by haxorus standards and Yun was oddly shaped, and together they made the table they sat at an eyesore. This, coupled with several people that kept turning their heads to stare at Glory, made Juniper feel uncomfortable. At least their waiter was nice.</p>
<p>The gardevoir played the attention off as she always did, face as stoic as it ever was when they were in public, but once or twice Juniper felt her reach over and squeeze her hand nervously. Even years later, it was clear Glory wasn't keen on the attention.</p>
<p>"Has everyone decided on what they'd like?" asked their waiter, striding over to the table.</p>
<p>"I think so?" said Juniper to the table at large. "What's everyone having?"</p>
<p>"He's having a cut of mamosteak," said Yun, pointing to Yosuke.</p>
<p>"M-Mamosteak? That's huge," said Juniper. "You that hungry?" She looked at the haxorus, who looked down at the table and growled something indistinct. "Oh, you're just nervous we're in town again. Don't get pre-gym butterflies, we have to head back out and catch us someone else anyway."</p>
<p>The haxorus nodded, but continued to look down at the table.</p>
<p>"Is that...what he's having?" asked the waiter, looking at Juniper.</p>
<p>"Yeah, sorry, you probably don't have talking coffins ordering stuff for dragons much," said Juniper. The waiter smiled and nodded. "Yun? What are you having?"</p>
<p>"Milkshake. Surprise me on the flavor."</p>
<p>"A milkshake?" asked Juniper.</p>
<p>"I'll eat when we're back out in the woods, for now, I want a treat."</p>
<p>"I'll have the uh…" Juniper stared down at her menu. "Phenac burger."</p>
<p>"It's pretty spicy," supplied the waiter. "Would you like us to-"</p>
<p>"I went to Orre plenty of times when I was still living in Unova, I can handle it," said Juniper smiling.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry you had to deal with that."</p>
<p>"It- well, you know. It is what it is." She shrugged the comment off and looked at Glory. "What do you want?"</p>
<p>The gardevoir closed her menu and told Juniper telepathically, "There's a really pleasant Camphrier salad on offer. I think that." She paused and smiled. "And a second milkshake."</p>
<p>Juniper relayed the order to the waiter and then focused back on the table as he stepped away. "Alright, so I think we'll be looking for a scyther."</p>
<p>"A scyther?" repeated Yun. "You sure? I mean, not a bad choice, gettin' up in the air where Maylene's team can't is a pretty good idea-"</p>
<p>"Well, I'd like to have a scizor, being honest."</p>
<p>"A scizor? That's not very advantageous here."</p>
<p>Juniper sighed. "I know but…" She let out an incredibly unbecoming, girlish squeal. "<em>They're so fucking cool!</em>"</p>
<p>"But think about how effective a scizor is going to be against something that can dent it!" pleaded Yun.</p>
<p>"Hey, I thought you said a sparring partner would be great for Yosuke."</p>
<p>"But a sparring partner that can also hold their own at the gym!"</p>
<p>"Nothing says a scizor can't."</p>
<p>"Except basic trainer knowledge about match-ups."</p>
<p>"Yun…"</p>
<p>The cofagrigus shook his entire body in disappointment.</p>
<p>"I know you like helping but I <em>am</em> the trainer."</p>
<p>"I know boss, I know." He frowned and then said, "Alright. If that's what we're looking for, that's what we're looking for." His eyes lit up suddenly and he punched the air. "Actually, come to think, maybe that's not a bad idea."</p>
<p>Juniper gave him an amused grin. "Why's that?"</p>
<p>"Because once Maylene eats our dust, there's plenty of other gyms for a scizor to come in real handy!"</p>
<p>"I think the most important thing," began Glory, "Is that Yosuke is not left bearing the brunt of all of the work. Especially since a particular coffin is less than interested in pulling his own weight."</p>
<p>"I pull plenty of weight!" said Yun indignantly. "I've got the corner warmed up with the best pep talk you'll ever get in your life!"</p>
<p>"Well save some of that pep for when we're back out in the field," said Juniper. "I can't imagine tracking and catching a scyther is going to be easy or fun." She leaned against the back of the booth and sighed. "I have to find out where I can get an evolutionary catalyst for scyther too."</p>
<p>"Do they sell those here?" asked Glory.</p>
<p>"Probably not," said Juniper, shaking her head. "They're… well, they're not <em>rare</em>, but they're not common either. I'll have to ask around…"</p>
<p>"Excuse me," said a voice from behind her.</p>
<p>Juniper turned her head and saw a man in his early twenties looking back at her. "Did you say you need a catalyst for scyther?"</p>
<p>She nodded her head. "Yeah. Figured I'd ask around the store-"</p>
<p>"Don't bother, they don't sell catalysts here. If you're looking for something for a scyther, you're going to need to head off to Iron Island."</p>
<p>"Iron Island? All the way out there?" Juniper groaned. "That's completely across the entire region. Is it at least easy to get a hold of one once you're there?"</p>
<p>The man laughed and shook his head. "I wish it was. I just got back from there myself. Put my onix through the ringer. Either you fight for one or you fight for one." He pulled his backpack up from between his legs and rummaged about inside of it, then pulled an impeccably polished metal cylinder free. "I chose the former, but you can always opt for the latter."</p>
<p>"What's the difference?" asked Juniper.</p>
<p>"There is no difference, your only option is a sequence of battles. Three in a row and you don't get a chance to patch up between each," he explained.</p>
<p>"What pokemon do they use?"</p>
<p>"I got put up against two azumarill and a mawile."</p>
<p>Juniper glanced at Yosuke and frowned. Three fairies.</p>
<p>"But according to them, there's a pool of maybe eight that participate, so who knows what you could end up against," he explained, shrugging. "Either way, it's worth it, just hard and out of the way."</p>
<p>"Thanks for the information. Appreciate it."</p>
<p>"Just glad I could help."</p>
<p>Juniper turned back around and watched the waiter approaching with their food. "Guess we're heading to Iron Island after we find us a scyther."</p>
<p>Yun laughed, slamming a hand down on the table ineffectually. "We're never gettin' past Veilstone!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So, uh, that's basically it. That's what I'm trying to do," said Juniper. "What do...you...think…" Her voice trailed off as the scyther turned her attention from the pokeball the trainer held in her outstretched hand up to Juniper's face. Perhaps this was not the best approach, she reasoned. Perhaps Yun was fishing for a good laugh. Her eyes shifted over to the patch of tall grass where Glory lay and the thick tree that Yosuke stood behind. Where Yun had gone was beyond her but it hardly mattered.</p><p>The abruptness of the clearing still impressed Juniper. Tall forest trees were a good forty meters away at a minimum, and the clearing seemed to be two dozen meters wide at its most narrow and as many as fifty at its widest. Stumps of fallen trees, rotting logs and fallen foliage littered the ground, and the soil beneath her own feet was covered in several layers of dead leaves. It was obviously deliberate, this clearing. Several scyther had literally carved themselves a home in the verdant forests that dominated so much of Route 215, and yet they were no more than three or four hundred meters away from the main road. Then again, what reason did anyone have to wander off the beaten path?</p><p>Those that weren't chasing scyther, anyway.</p><p>But she was, she thought. Her gaze shifted past the scyther before her and to the crowd of scyther a few dozen meters in the distance that continued to watch her and the scyther in front of her with cautious interest. Their presence worried Juniper, but none of them seemed offended or inclined to intervene. For now, at least.</p><p>The scyther stepped closer towards Juniper and raised a bladed arm, bringing the tip of it gently to the pokeball to tap it once. A sound like clicks overlaid with a low growl met Juniper's ears. She sighed.</p><p>"You'll be, um, caught. You'll be part of my team!" She gestured in the vague direction of Glory and Yosuke and then frowned. "You, uh, you can't see them right now because they're trying not to make this harder." The pokemon turned her attention towards the direction Juniper pointed and cocked her head.</p><p>Another clicking growl.</p><p>"Yeah, they're pretty great friends. That's what we're all trying to be, you know? Just a band of wandering friends taking on the League Challenge. You know?' explained Juniper. Her faith in this plan working and in her own ability to charm pokemon was fast approaching the floor, and she was confident it would leave a crater on impact. "So that's what I'm offering. If you tap this ball, you'll be caught. You get that, right? You'll be part of the team. We'll all be working together. As a team. Teammates. And friends."</p><p>The scyther crossed her arms and fluttered her wings several times, producing a low buzz. Juniper recoiled, and it earned her a sharp, strange laugh from the mantis. She turned about and sped off back towards her swarm.</p><p>Juniper's shoulders sagged and she let out a defeated sigh. But as fast as the scyther had departed, she returned. With another in tow.</p><p>The second scyther was only just smaller, perhaps recently mature or nearing it, and bore a brighter, wide-eyed expression. Wonder. It was also female, or at least, she had to be, reasoned Juniper, as the males were always noticeably smaller and thinner. The older of the two scyther urged the young female forward with her arms and then backed up several steps. The younger mantis turned her head back and called back at her senior with a short series of high-pitched chirps.</p><p>A single nod in response, followed by a slow, deliberate movement. The older female raised her scythe-tipped arm and gently tapped it roughly at the height Juniper held the pokeball at.</p><p>With a nod, the younger pokemon turned her attention back at Juniper with something like a goofy grin on her face and boldly tapped the pokeball in her hand. She missed the button and tapped it again, confused. Several more taps and a few clicks of rising annoyance later, Juniper said hurriedly, "Wait, wait, here. Let me just…" She turned the pokeball in her hand to present the button to the pokemon.</p><p>As the scyther made to tap the button, Juniper said, "Wait!"</p><p>The pokemon froze and gave the trainer a confused, mildly fearful look.</p><p>"You're going to become part of my team if you do this. You're… you're not going to see them all again for a long time. If… if ever." Juniper pointed out at the swarm of scyther behind the young female and added, "Are you sure?" The pokemon craned her head around to look back at her elder, and at her swarm. A short silence hung in the air, but when she turned back to face Juniper, she looked the trainer in the eyes and nodded confidently.</p><p>Tap.</p><p>With a click and flash of red light, the scyther disintegrated into a single beam and into the confines of the pokeball. The light on the ball blinked once and the entire device vibrated once. It was nothing like the resignation from Glory, the curious and high-frequency shaking of Yun, or the forceful defiance of Yosuke. It was a single, unbroken, steady vibration. And then the light went out.</p>
<hr/><p>The cool air that swirled through the campsite and over her wings sent a wave of relief through Nanako's body. Her morning exercises had left her panting and struggling to control her breathing as she sat upon the old stump a short distance from where the tents and fire had been set up. Somewhere behind her, the others still slept. The Matriarch did not have the kind of work ethic she had hoped for, but it was very clear she <em>cared</em>. She'd be excellent for helping the dragon train, or so the Matriarch said. After so much time spent facing down defeat, they'd all found a boon in the shape of Nanako. Or so the Matriarch had said.</p><p>She rose and rolled her shoulders several times and tucked her wings away, her body feeling looser and cooler now. A boon? Hopefully. If what the coffin said was true, they would certainly need any advantage they could get. Nanako made her way to a nearby bush they'd foraged a snack from last night and combed it for unpicked berries. Her eyes found one.</p><p>Nanako focused intently on the dew running down the flesh of the pecha berry before her. It pooled at its very tip, growing steadily fatter, threatening to fall. The sweet fruit swayed gently in the cool breeze of the dawn, and the bead only swelled in size. It would fall soon. Her right scythe-arm twitched. The cut had to be perfect. She inhaled, long and slow and closed her eyes. Focus on the unseen fruit. Exhale, equally long, equally slow. Longer even. Hold. Her arm tensed and locked. Hold. The breeze brought the sweet scent of grass at dawn to her nose. Hold. Her arm, tense and ready, ached. The breeze stopped. She tore her eyes open.</p><p>Bead still there. <em>Swish.</em> A blur of green drew a crescent in the air as she slashed with inhuman speed. She huffed and brought her arm up to inspect it. Beside her, thick white fingers reached over and ran up and down the appendage then stopped.</p><p>Glory rubbed her fingers together and laughed. "Excellent work, Nanako. You really showed that bead of dew what folly it was to cross you."</p><p>Nanako crossed her arms and let out a sharp huff. "I don't see <em>you</em> training every dawn. No wonder the Matriarch has yet to win her contests." The scyther shook her head. "Lazy sons and daughters." She swung her left arm-scythe through the air and cut the pecha berry free, her arm a green crescent-shaped blur once more, and immediately followed through with a second vertical cut that split the fruit neatly in two, before finally positioning her arm beneath the fruit and catching both halves.</p><p>One half.</p><p>The other hit her arm, bounced, landed again, wobbled and then toppled off of the scyther's arm and down to the grass. Nanako let out a series of furious clicks and screeches. Glory placed a reassuring arm on the scyther's shoulder and bent down to pick the fruit up from the ground and brushed a few blades of grass off of it. "It's fine, it's just a few blades of grass."</p><p>Nanako flicked the half of the fruit still sitting on the flat part of her blade-arm up into the air and speared it with the tip of her arm before offering it to Glory, all the while trying to take the fallen fruit from the gardevoir. "Please. Take this one instead. I have failed, which means I am not-"</p><p>"You're more than entitled to eat the cleaner piece of fruit, Nanako, don't be ridiculous. I didn't have to do anything for my half, after all."</p><p>Nanako brought the halved pecha berry closer to Glory's face and said quietly, "Please."</p><p>With a chuckle, Glory raised her hand, but instead of making for the fruit, her fingers began to glow. A pink shine surrounded the fruit and pried it from the scyther's arm, only to immediately move it next to the scyther's mouth. "Eat it. You've earned it. Besides…" Glory stuffed the halved pecha berry in her other hand into her mouth and gave Nanako an incredibly cheeky smile.</p><p>The scyther looked taken aback and then pouted. "You are ridiculous."</p><p>Glory swallowed and gave her a radiant smile. "The same could be said about you." She sat down on the grass and closed her eyes as a breeze rolled through their campsite. Nanako followed suit, spearing the fruit out of the air and taking a bite from it in a resigned sort of way.</p><p>She finished chewing and said, "How did you know I was trying to hit the bead of dew?"</p><p>Glory took a deep breath and let out a long, placid sigh. "It feels <em>wonderful</em> this morning."</p><p>Nanako made a low clicking sound and finished her berry, adding thickly, "I asked you a question."</p><p>"I just guessed. I figured you had to have been aiming for something that wasn't the berry."</p><p>"Why-"</p><p>"Because there is no way you'd miss a berry that close. So it had to be something else. When I touched your scythe and found it wet I figured, well, it must have either been a bead of dew or Nanako can sweat and I wasn't aware." The gardevoir laid down onto the grass and threw one leg over the other. "You've come a long way in the last month and a half."</p><p>"I have not progressed much at all." Nanako stood and began to stretch her arms and roll her shoulders. "I should be much more capable than I am now."</p><p>"You have been training nonstop. Yosuke has even asked me if he will ever catch some kind of repose."</p><p>"Improving my skills was the only thought on my mind when I was with the swarm." Nanako exhaled and then turned to kneel in front of Glory. Her breathing slipped into a steady rhythm and she continued, "That and looking for our next meal, cutting down our next tree or tending to the recently hatched."</p><p>"Quite a lot of responsibility to have heaped on you. You are young."</p><p>"I was just starting to hunt for food. For the swarm, that signals that you are crossing into maturity."</p><p>"And so at the threshold you were set loose with us?"</p><p>"My Brood Matriarch believed it to be best. The previous eldest Patriarch was once at the command of one of her kind." Nanako pointed at Juniper's tent before crossing her scythe arms over her legs and closing her eyes. "Of course, that was two broods ago. He hollowed when I was still young."</p><p>Glory sat up and frowned. "My condolences."</p><p>Nanako opened her eyes and stared into the forest around them, pensive, then shrugged and said simply, "It will happen."</p><p>"I have to say, however, I didn't think information like that would be shared. Or even relevant."</p><p>"It was rare information. For us, it was useful for our survival. For him, perhaps he was fond of recollecting. But regardless, we learned about how her kind operate. Why they may seek us out. How they may attempt to best us." Nanako chuckled. "But my Brood Matriarch and I were both equally surprised to see how Juniper went about the whole process."</p><p>"Was your mother hoping for a fight? Or perhaps, hoping you'd get one?" asked Glory.</p><p>"No. She expected one. A broodmate of mine had been taken away after coming off worse in a fight some time prior. Imagine her surprise, and my own, when we found out Juniper believed it best to simply walk up and try to convince one of us to join."</p><p>"Very different from how any of us joined her," said Glory, staring up into the sky.</p><p>"Oh?"</p><p>Glory raised her hands, the tips of her fingers coming to life with a gentle pink and purple glow. She pressed the tips together and then pulled them apart, creating several delicate lines of shimmering energy. And then she began to work. Carefully, strand by strand she pulled and spun and twisted and tugged until she had formed an approximation of a yamask in the morning air. It held its shimmering form between the pokemon, frozen in time. The mask it bore was bizarre, carved into a wide smile meant to mimic laughter that extended all the way up to the eyes.</p><p>"Yun asked to join Juniper. She was rather taken aback if I recall. After having dealt with Yosuke and I, having someone simply ask to join your entourage is bizarre, don't you think?" Glory spun her right hand in small circles, extending and flexing her index finger. The strands of light collapsed into motes, and she reached out and formed them into strands between her hands once again.</p><p>A ralts with a terrified expression on its face, seemingly recoiling away from an unseen threat, formed in the air. Glory looked up at it with an amused expression on her face that slowly broke into a smile and then laughter. "And then there was the way Juniper added me to her roster of friends."</p><p>"You look horrified."</p><p>"I was. Look at me, I was small and vulnerable. She was so enthusiastic about trying to toss that ball at me." Glory squashed a long line of snickers against her palm. "She kept missing because I wouldn't stop teleporting." She laughed in earnest and shook her head. "But I got too tired and eventually settled on this. A phenomenal strategy if you ask me."</p><p>"You didn't put up a fight?"</p><p>"I was this tall," said Glory, raising her hand not more than a foot off the ground. "What was I supposed to do? Besides, Yosuke was always closing in, determined to put me out."</p><p>"And so you were bested?" asked Nanako, focusing on the projection of Glory as a ralts.</p><p>"Yes. And after a few weeks I was rather grateful." Glory waved her hand through the projection, collapsing it back into motes. "Steady food, shelter, and love." Her smile faltered. "I am <em>unusual</em>. Sometimes my thoughts drift to how much that must have made me stick out to Juniper."</p><p>Nanako threw an appraising look at Glory and made a low, indistinct hum in her chest.</p><p>"But one day she approached me." Glory raised her arms and formed the motes into a ball, dragging lines and circles across it until it resembled a pokeball. "And held this little sphere out to me." Glory's lips curled into a small, fond smile. "And said to me, 'Here. I guess someone thinks I've just been a fucking burden to you. Treated you like some kind of fucking trophy and not a friend or even-' And then she paused and choked." Glory's smile turned back to a frown. "She looked so angry. So hurt. I could feel it radiating from her in waves. So much <em>brilliant</em> red and blue laid atop each other. It was the kind of purple her kind would call <em>imperial</em>. Eventually she managed to choke out, 'Like a weird sister. Like I don't <em>know</em> what the fuck the world thinks when they see you. Like I don't fucking know what they <em>see</em>." And then after she fell silent, but she never withdrew that little ball."</p><p>The scyther looked on with confusion. "I don't believe I follow. Are you free?"</p><p>Glory smiled and shook her head. "Juniper gave you the choice to join. Someone must have impressed on her that I should have been given the same option. And made her feel dismal about failing to do so, no less. So she gave me the choice to <em>leave.</em>" Glory waved the motes completely out of the air and crossed her arms to rest them on her knees. "I had no intention of doing so. It is hard even now to describe the rush of greens and gentle lilacs that poured out of Juniper when I refused to leave." The gardevoir's face broke into a wide smile. "It took her a while to stop being so weepy but she composed herself eventually."</p><p>"Why did you choose to stay?" asked Nanako, leaning forward, clearly interested.</p><p>"Food and shelter, of course," said Glory at once. The scyther threw Glory a searching look. The gardevoir laughed. "'I'm joking." She turned her attention back to the sky. "Juniper spoke at length with me about what the person had told her that made her doubt our relationship as teammates. It was lengthy. And needlessly complex, but then again she <em>is</em> human. What are they if not needlessly difficult?"</p><p>Nanako laughed and nodded.</p><p>"But when she had said her part, I understood. I knew what she thought, and how she felt. She nurses a powerful love for me, the kind she said she'd always wished to share with siblings she never had."</p><p>"She sees you as a broodmate? That is curious."</p><p>"Do you love your broodmates?" asked Glory.</p><p>The scyther frowned. "I am not so certain I understand what you mean. We protected and cared for one another but-"</p><p>"Precisely," said Glory, cutting her off. "I did not understand her either; I only had related experiences and feelings to offer up. But in time, I understood. And in time, I have found myself to feel exactly the same way. Though it is clear that our ideas of what that entails do not align perfectly." She laughed and shook her head. "I imagine they never will. So maybe not exactly. But near enough will do."</p><p>"Does she seek the same result with the rest of this swarm? With myself? Yun? Yosuke?" asked Nanako.</p><p>Glory shrugged. "Humans are difficult to predict."</p><p>"Their movements are like those of fresh young on cold nights."</p><p>"I mean, mentally. Emotionally. Perhaps she does. She doesn't seem the type to play favorites. A point in her favor, I draw many eyes." Glory puffed her chest out and put her hands to hips with mock pride. She deflated a second later and waved a hand dismissively through the air. "Bah. Wandering eyes seeking strange lands. Viola's gushing praise of Johannes did not disprove that humans eat with their eyes." Glory shook her head. "I have led us both off the path. My capture - my assimilation into this team. That is how it happened."</p><p>With a nod, Nanako asked, "And Yosuke?"</p><p>Glory leaned back on her hands and laughed. "Juniper's father helped her capture him. It was a fierce contest, from what Yosuke has told me. They tried many, many times. He mentioned that, far from becoming discouraged, she seemed to become only more animated with every passing failure. Concern gave way to amusement, and eventually, even a bizarre sort of admiration, even pride. She was determined to make that dragon hers. Even as the walls closed in around him in that space where sleep takes hold he kept up the defiance, but he could not help but feel she'd put the work in for a job, if not well, at least painstakingly done."</p><p>"Hmph. Impressive. The Matriarch is possessed of tremendous will," said Nanako. She turned to look towards Juniper's tent. "Good on her."</p><p>"And still her will fails her when she needs it most," said Glory, smirking.</p><p>"Oh?"</p><p>Glory stood and strode to Juniper's tent, saying loudly all the while, "Yes. She cannot wake up without some GENTLE ASSISTANCE." She wrenched the flaps to the tent open and looked down intensely at her Trainer.</p><p>Silence and then a loud groan.</p><p>"You are not-"</p><p>"Telepathy. I assure you, in her head, I am screeching."</p><p>At this Juniper shouted, "Do you always have to make that <em>awful</em> buzzing noise? It's like you're trying to tear the inside of my brain apart!"</p><p>"Works every time," said Glory, looking smugly over at Nanako. The scyther laughed.</p>
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